Could be interesting to see who's back for this game given those injured.

This game has cock-up defeat written all over it.

We've come through adversity with some excellent performances. For the first time all year we're going into a game as favourites. Dewsbury always get up for this game before reverting to their below-par performances the week after. They will be absolutely desperate to get a victory on sunday. I hope we don't we get complacent and are bang up for this. Its a crunch game. Leon and Scott Moore will be vital this week in training chelping away at the young lads and making sure they don't fall in love with themselves.

Dewsbury playing their cup game on the Fri means they get 2 days extra rest, but with several of our key players rested/injured against Fev that might not make much difference. Rams winning their cup game may give them a bit of confidence, but with the Bulls fans behind the players I'm hoping we can do it this Sunday as its definitely a 4 pointer for us.

First game i'm going to miss this year and to make it worse, i have to go to Featherstone as my son is playing in a tournament there !!!!!!

I agree. It's one of those situations we're all too familiar with in the last few years. Just as some confidence starts to creep it's way back into our minds, we come back down to earth with a very large bump. This Sunday screams of bumpage.

You may well be right, and I guess that no one would be [ithat[/i surprised if it happened.

Much as I've said that we'll probably lose some games we might expect to win and then win some we expect to lose, I think there seems to be a different attitude on the paddock this season. The old (well last season) idea of, 'let them score forty and we'll get fifty', attitude seems to have gone and with a reasonably representative side out containing one or two more of the, 'bigger boys', I think we should have enough to power to control their pack, the tenacity to pull out the win and the belief in the defence to do it well.

Mind, I've been wrong before..

Potential banana skin



There does seem to be a much better 'attitude' around this season - born from adversity one imagines! One result of all of our much-documented problems seems to be the shedding of this 'we expect to roll this team over easily' mindset - not before time I'm sure we all agree

As has been said - hopefully Pryce, Moore and Smith -as well as our phantom coach Mr Toovey - are drilling it into people's heads that this is a game that we absolutely must win, and not to take anything for granted.

I'll take a scrappy 7-6 win with a Keyes drop goal. Hopefully not as its not good for the heart palpitations - but at the end of the day, I don't care how we win so long as win.

There again they will be spending those 2 days at their day jobs. Swings and roundabouts I guess.

I think we're less likely to suffer from banana skins this season as there seems to be a far better team spirit in this young side than we've had in the bloated squads of "superstars" for the last 2 years.
The only real problem as far as I can see is a lack of healthy bodies among the older, more experienced players

I think we will win this one. We will be our own worst enemy at times but I do think we will sneak it.

Oledzki isn't in Leeds' 19 man squad for this week. Fingers crossed we're trying our best to get him back on loan again.

Hopeful if he's not even in the 19! Be a boost for Sunday

Weren't leeds planning on playing Oledzki in their u19s this week against ours tomorrow night though?.

He's in the 19s squad, yeah.

Interesting tweet from the Bulls just now - some sort of announcement being made on the website this evening?
But it also includes a random picture of Stuart Fielden along with the message? wtf?

Conditioning coach?

I'm hoping for an all guns blazing Bulls performance on Sunday, fingers crossed!

Looking like the Fev game has proved quite costly with a few injuries.

Who's out??

Heard Oledzki could be off to Fev on DR, as Ormandroyd is out for a month & Baldwinson is now getting in Leeds team on regular basis

Mmmm 1 post being this, wouldn't be surprised if they did it to us seeing how we pushed them without our loanees

If you look at it from Leeds' point of view, it makes more sense for them. With a couple of their props still out, they don't want to be guaranteed to be without him for a month without a recall option. Equally, he's not going to play for Leeds unless another 1 or 2 go down. The best option for them is to use him as dual reg for now, then he can play Championship but they can have him back instantly if they need him.

Once Galloway, Ormondroyd and Singleton are available and Oledzki is right down the pecking order again, they can afford to risk not being able to call him back for a month. But while they're short of bodies, it makes more sense to have him dual reg.

Injury doubts over Thomas, Pryce and Magrin. Mendeika (leg), Peltier (hand) and Bentley (concussion) definitely out. No idea if Smith, Wilkinson and Roche have recovered.

If Pryce, Thomas and Magrin are fit I’d go with this.

Thomas,
Campbell
Smith
Oakes
Ryan
Pryce
Keyes
Kirk
Moore
Magrin
Wilkinson
Larroyer
Jordan Roberts

Lilley
Lumb
Murray
Roche

If Thomas is out Campbell goes to fullback and Macani comes in on the wing. If Magrin’s out then Murray starts and Hodgson comes onto the bench. If Pryce is out Lilley starts and Butterworth starts on the bench.

Given that Hodgson and Butterworth played last night I’m hopeful they won’t be needed again on Sunday. Really hope Smith and Roche are fit or we’re really struggling.

It certainly suggests that Toovey/Beattie believe that they won't be needed in the 17 on Sunday, otherwise they wouldn't have taken the risk. I'd say they're only likely to be in the 17 if someone has a setback and becomes unavailable when they thought he'd be ok.

Actually thought Halafihi had a decent game defensively against Fev. Would rather him a bench spot to cover back row, hooker and maybe centre rather than a winger who doesn't get on. 17 players are a must in this game. Its going to be rough and tough.

I too thought Halafihi went ok until he ran too near to touch and got dragged out. That was poor.